Fire Company, Others Rescue 11-Year-Old Bulldog from Hellertown Cistern

A dramatic animal rescue took place behind a home on Magnolia Road in Hellertown Wednesday morning.

According to a post on the Dewey Fire Co. Facebook page, a 11-year-old bulldog slipped into a hole and then fell “seven feet into a cistern.”

The dog’s name is Reilly.

Lehigh Valley Live reported that Reilly’s owner called 911 at about 8:50 a.m., and that the rescue took place behind an apartment building.

“With the coordination of Dewey Fire Company, Hellertown Police Department, Hellertown Public Works and the Hellertown Water Authority, this incident had a happy ending,” the fire company reported. “Other than a very minor cut to her paw and undoubtedly (being) very scared, she was safely brought out of the cistern and is doing very well!”

Video of the moment when the dog was brought out of the hole in the ground was also posted on the page.

Police Chief Robert Shupp told Lehigh Valley Live that the storage tank will need to be removed or sealed off by the property owner to help prevent a future incident.